A two-year-old boy was swept away by a conveyor belt at Newark Liberty International Airport while her mother was at a counter. The boy was eventually found by Port Security officers, not without a good scare first.
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According to PIX11, the incident took place at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28. At the time, the toddler’s mother was talking to a JetBlue counter agent. Unbeknownst to her, her son boarded the conveyor belt that was located next to and behind the counter.
According to Port Authority Police Department Union President Frank Conti, the whole thing “happened in the blink of an eye.”
While continuing to ride the conveyor belt, the boy eventually plunged into Terminal A’s luggage screening system. Thankfully, Port Authority officers present in the area managed to witness the incident, as they were close by.
Following the child into the luggage screening system, they were close to finding the boy. However, soon they would find that the fact that there were two of them searching for the kid was of vital importance.
“There was a split in the belts,” Conti said. “One officer went toward one direction, one went toward the other direction. One of them was able to observe the child as the child was approaching one of the X-ray units.”
Right before the toddler reached the X-ray units, one of the officers managed to grab him and pull him away to safety.
Gratitude
The boy’s grandfather, who spoke with the outlet, was thankful to the officers who managed to save his grandson. Reportedly, the boy and his family, all from Staten Island, managed to fly to Tampa, Florida, for vacation.
However, according to him, perhaps the most exciting part of the trip was the one that came long before boarding the plane itself at Newark Airport.
The boy’s identity was not released by PX11, and the Port Authority will also not be releasing the names of the hero officers who saved the child. However, Conti commends their actions and the family’s gratitude.
“Gratitude can be few and far between at times,” Conti added. “So I’ll tell you what, I’ll take it where we can get it.”